Even better.
More time saved. The gap was closing. Austin was pushing it at every opportunity, which was impressive. Happy with that she read the rest of the clue to herself.
A home of gateways and arches. And so to rest at Black Jack before Eagle Springs makes us fly.
Even she knew about the St Louis gateway arch, the hugely impressive monument that stood 630 feet high and was clad in stainless steel. Caitlyn now informed her it was the world’s tallest arch and the tallest man-made monument in the western hemisphere. The Gateway Arch then, it made sense.
She stared out into the dark night. “Hang on, Michael,” she whispered for herself. “We’re coming. We’re bloody coming.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Caitlyn hadn’t forgotten about the authorities’ lack of presence at the steakhouse and soon got on to Merriweather. The FBI agent was incredibly displeased, promising to come down hard on those that hadn’t acted. Caitlyn explained that what happened next was all that mattered and told him she’d let him know a precise location as soon as they had it. Merriweather promised not only men, but helicopters too.
“Things are looking up,” Caitlyn said. “Now they’ve got their precious capital sorted, they can concentrate on the rest of the country.”
Alicia saw that the young girl was fretting and not for the banner. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re closing in.”
“What worries me is how far they’re going.”
Alicia tended to agree. “We have to assume Crouch believes it’ll end in America. Otherwise, he’d have told us.”
“Unless he hasn’t had the chance.”
“Maybe.”
Alicia waited for Caitlyn to delve further into the clues. Eventually, the black-haired woman came up with a theory.
“All right, here we go. Black Jack is a town outside St Louis and Eagle Springs is a golf course situated near that town. I’m assuming they’re going to rest in the town of Black Jack and then head to the golf course to… fly.”
“Choppers?” Austin asked.
“Good assumption,” Caitlyn said. “Unless they have jet packs.”
“Fly to where?” Russo wondered.
Caitlyn tapped her screen in frustration. “Could be anywhere. St Louis is almost in the center of North America. There’s no guessing where they’ll go from there.”
Alicia slapped the back of Austin’s seat. “C’mon, kid. Get your foot down. I doubt even Crouch is gonna be able to leave us a clue in the middle of a bloody golf course.”
Austin complained that he was practically making them fly, but then sped up appreciably as a well-lit piece of dual asphalt opened up ahead. The engine roared loudly, the tires rumbling over the blacktop. Cars pulled out of their way or were overtaken, undertaken or practically shoved to the side of the road. Austin was taking no prisoners, barely slowing for junctions and traffic signals. The night was fully on them now; sunset had passed as quickly as sand streaming through their fingers. Time was being stolen; hours lost. They pursued and shadowed their quarry doggedly, as best they could, speeding down the straighter roads and hanging on when the bends grew sharp.
The miles flew by.
But so did the hours.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Still the miles raced past as midnight became a memory and a full moon began to pick out the approaching town of Black Jack.
Surely, they were now just a few hours behind, Alicia assumed. Two or three? Sometime during the night, they had been contacted by an offshoot of the St Louis police and assured a detachment of men and a helicopter would be made available. Eagle Springs golf course was being staked out.
Nothing to report yet.
Alicia sat on the edge of her seat, unable to relax. The long hours were torturous. Even compartmentalizing Crouch’s constant danger and the threat to the Star-Spangled Banner didn’t help much. Austin guided the car into the small city of Black Jack, rolling down a wide single roadway dissected by twin yellow lines. Clean looking shops and stores stood on both sides of the road. The entire place was well lit, the sidewalks empty in the early morning. Austin followed the route to the golf course, driving straight past before allowing Caitlyn to contact the local law enforcement.
“No signs of life,” the man reported. “And no newcomers in town today either. All hotels, motels, hostels checked. Could be in one of the trailer parks I guess, or just stopped in the woods.”
Alicia imagined the man shrugging helplessly. “More likely that they have friends in the area,” she said. “Do you have anyone on the watch list living around here?”
“Nope. If they’re helping these guys they’ve been keeping low until now.”
Alicia believed it. The op had been so carefully planned all along that whoever was in charge wouldn’t risk using a known criminal. They’d be doubly careful.
“Is that chopper ready?”
“Fuelled and waiting.”
“We have to assume they’re resting somewhere around here,” Caitlyn said. “Just keep your eyes open.”
The officer clicked off without saying a word. Alicia knew he’d be feeling patronized, but in a mission as important as this she didn’t care. For a woman who’d been suspicious of her boss in recent adventures, she sure as hell missed having him around now. In truth, she was beginning to feel guilty about those suspicions. Everyone strayed a little — didn’t matter how perfect or coddled or capable you were. The world was designed to make you stray.
Redemption rested in how quickly you made it back to real life, and all its obligations.
She checked her watch. It was a little after four, and she was heavy eyed. Maybe they should take this opportunity to get a little sleep. They couldn’t just drive around the city hoping to see a golden candle in the window.
She suggested it. They stopped and pulled over. The car ticked itself silent as first Russo, then the others stood watch in turn. Alicia ate fruit and energy bars, and drank water when it came to her stint, and watched dawn break out on the far horizon, just a blush of deep yellow brightening the dark skies.
The onset of dawn came with something else. A low whump that could have been anything at this distance, but to Alicia’s trained ear was gunfire.
Russo jerked awake. “What’s that?”
It was the soldier’s trained reaction. Alicia shook the other two into consciousness. “Something’s happening, guys. Let’s get into that golf course.”
Austin wiped his mouth and eyes and switched on the car. Caitlyn coughed and drank water as it sped off, spilling the contents into her lap. Alicia took hold of her gun.
They rounded a bend with both sides of the road hidden by high trees. The entrance was about fifty meters ahead. Austin spun the wheel hard and jabbed at the gas pedal to take a sliding arc off the road and into the driveway, making gravel spit up from the sides of their tires. The gravel road inclined steadily up ahead, the rise blocking any view they might yet have of the golf course.
Alicia sat forward again, hands clasped around Austin’s headrest. Slowly, the terrain came into sight.
The golf course spread out to both sides, hillocks and humps, dips and valleys, with tiny white sticks and flags marking the various holes. A clubhouse stood some way to the right, a single-story brick building with many windows, situated so that it could look out over the grounds. Behind it stood what appeared to be a small lodge, a place where golfers could mingle, drink… and perhaps stay the night.
“I bet they didn’t check the bloody golf club lodge,” she said.
Six cars were parked in front of the lodge, but they weren’t the focus of her attention. It was the course itself, somewhere close to the first hole, where three police officers knelt, guns out and sighted at something just a hundred meters in front of them.